Has anybody out there used cement siding? It might work for my next job but I haven’t used it myself yet.
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Yes
Who do you get your material from, Carrot Top? Al Franken at his worst is funnier than you have ever wished to be. Please don't quit you day job, you’re not funny.
Marty,
here a link to give you some info 47751.1. Also, check out the Fine homebuilding issue number 140 June/July 2001 FH, there is a good article on it there. You can buy the back issue or check your local library, most of the time they will keep issues for 4 or 5 years.
I believe I answered the question that was presented.
dday... yowser....
i thought his response was appropriate to the question
<<<<Has anybody out there used cement siding?>>>
sometimes , you get what you ask for
Mike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
Edited 3/16/2005 6:12 pm ET by Mike Smith
Do you mean fiber-cement siding such as Hardi? It is very popular in some areas.
Al Mollitor, Sharon MA
I think its great. Much less expensive than cedar and last a lot longer (we hope) and holds paint better up here in the Northeast near the ocean. It is harder to cut and you do need to seal the ends. And it is so much a better alternative to vinyl particulary on old houses. I have a mix of it on my 1850 Greek Revial and you have to get right up to it to see that it is not cedar.
I've never used cement siding but if I had I would try to be a little more forthcoming
John (a different one)
Be advised that it will show every bow and bulge of your wall sheathing. It's a good product that should last forever but it's only 1/4" thick so it transfers easily.
Dave
A halfway competent builder isn't gonna have a bunch of wavy walls.
If it's an older house that's a little tired, and the walls are less than perfectly flat, it's still not going to telegraph minor misalignments, or bowed studs or whatever. If the walls are really whacked, they either need fixing or covered with something like handsplit shakes or ledgestone or something.
I do mostly new construction, but have put up a lot of the stuff on some old houses and it didn't telegraph imperfections anymore than any other beveled siding would (and I've put up a lot of WRC and redwood).
And here in the West, where it gets dry as hell in the summer, F/C is as close to fireproof as you're gonna get. Throw some scraps in a hot bonfire and you'll be amazed at what remains after the fire is dead and cold.
Marty, we have used it extensively. It is very popular on the lake houses. The painters I have talked to say that it holds paint very well.
We have learned a few tricks on the cutting and fastening end of things. If you are interested I will be glad to share them with you.
I would say that we have been putting on cement-fiber siding for about 8 years.
James Hart
Marty,
Fiber cement siding is a synthetic, therefore uniform. As others have said, it is durable and holds paint really well. It harmonizes with older homes and traditional materials; it lacks that "plastic" feel. I love it as a wood replacement when skinning an area that is very difficult to maintain on a regular basis, like a facia with a gutter over it. Termites leave it alone. It is dimensionally stable.
There is a lot to like about FC. The cutting and nailing are a downside, but true carpenters can overcome this.
Bill